Expert answer

Hi Daithi,

Well, the best brands for residual values are generally held to be Toyota, Skoda or the premium German car brands. That said, Kia tends to perform quite well in residual terms right now, not least because of that impressive seven-year warranty. An Optima should make a good choice, then, as would a Toyota Avensis. That said, it’s very clear right now that the market is moving, rapidly, to being centred around SUVs and crossovers, not traditional four-door saloons, so you might be well advised to have a look at one of those — a Kia Sportage, perhaps, or Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashqai or Volkswagen Tiguan.

Expert answer

Hi Rosalind,

If you go for the current Touran (which launched two years ago) then no, it's not boxy to drive at all. Rather good in fact. The new Renault Scenic is also quite nice to drive, and if you go up a size, the Ford S-Max is actually slightly nicer to drive than the Mondeo that it's based on. Here are a few reviews for your interest:

Volkswagen Touran review

Renault Scenic review

Ford S-Max review

Expert answer

Hi Carol,

Sure thing. We've tested two different versions of the current Hyundai Tucson:

Hyundai Tucson 1.7 diesel Executive review

Hyundai Tucson 2.0 diesel 4WD auto review

We've also pitched the Tucson against its two closest rivals in a unique three-way test if that's of interest:

Nissan Qashqai vs. Hyundai Tucson vs. Renault Kadjar

Expert answer

Hi Brendan,

We really like the Ateca, and the 1.4 turbo petrol engine really suits it, so that’s the one we’d advise you to go for. There’s an updated version of the Qashqai coming very shortly, so bear that in mind if you’re looking at the Nissan — you might be able to get a better bargain on a run-out model.

SEAT Ateca 1.4 TSI review

Nissan Qashqai review

Facelifted Nissan Qashqai preview

Five best mid-sized SUVs and crossovers in Ireland

Expert answer

Hi Marie,

The timing belt interval for the 1.5 dCi engine is every 120,000km or five years, so you would expect to see that this car will have had the belt changed in 2014 at the latest. As for the mileage, it’s certainly not impossible for a car to have covered only low miles, but if you have any concerns then get a history check done by a company such as Cartell.ie, and ask to have a look at all of the service stamps and records for the car. If any are missing, be suspicious. If it’s an original Irish market car, then check its previous NCT certificates, which should have recorded the mileage at each inspection.

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Hi Michael,

I think your best bet is to sell the car in Germany first, but possibly not to this other person you’re speaking about. If you’re concerned about what a future owner may do with a car, then the best thing is to find someone else to sell it to. Bringing the car into Ireland to sell will involve a large amount of paperwork and a hefty price tag in Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT), so I think you’re going to be better off by far selling the car in Germany.

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Hi there,

Have you thought of a Toyota C-HR? Size wise and reliability wise it would seem to suit you perfectly, and it's also sweet to drive with a really nice cabin. It's technically a brand new model but Toyota registered a lot in late 2016 as dealer demos so you ought to be able to pick up a bargain 'nearly new' if you shop around. Otherwise I think your best bet would be a Skoda Yeti. 

Skoda Yeti review

Toyota C-HR 1.2 review

Toyota C-HR Hybrid review

Expert answer

Hi Cathal,

You are indeed entitled to a refund, but not immediately. Under the Sale of Goods and Supply Of Services Act, if a product is “not of merchantable quality” then you are entitled to a repair, replacement or a refund. It will be up to you and the dealer from whom you bought the car to discuss which of these will be the case, and most dealers will try at least to repair the car at first, as obviously that’s usually the most cost-effective route from their perspective.

You can demand a refund and nothing else, but I’d make sure you have a good solicitor on your side before doing that as technically if the dealer is offering you a repair then they are fulfilling their duties under the act.

Expert answer

Hi Rue,

No problem, have a look here: http://www.carzone.ie/search/result/cars/make/nissan/model/qashqai/transmission/automatic

Expert answer

Hi Cathal,

The Qashqai would be a reliable car in general terms, although they do tend to suffer from sagging suspension and occasional turbocharger failure on the diesel model. The engine management system can also go awry. The Corolla is perhaps not as perfectly reliable as is sometimes painted, but overall I’d expect it to be a little more reliable than the Nissan.